Loose Ends
by monotonousmuse
Summary: Emerson McKay's parents have been dead for nearly five years, but everything still feels fresh as if it had just happened. The only thing keeping him from moving on? Nobody seems to have the answers to any of his questions.
1. Prologue

Emerson McKay frowned as Brandon Walsh, his maternal uncle, hesitantly placed a slightly crinkled and torn envelope into his hands, a hesitant look in his eyes. On the front read: _"Emerson Byron McKay"_, printed in what he recognized as his mother's handwriting. The boy frowned, a pang of sadness shooting through him.

"W...what is this?" He looked up at his aunt and uncle, who both wore solemn expressions on their faces. Kelly and Brandon exchanged glances as if waiting to see who would speak up first.

"It's from your parents, honey. Your uncle and I found it while we were going through everything a few years back." Kelly answered, suddenly finding it hard to look her nephew in the eye.

"A few years back?" Emerson echoed, frowning. "Why didn't you tell me when you found it?" He asked in a low tone. Kelly fidgeted with her sleeve, the guilt flooding through her.

"We didn't think you were ready at the time," Brandon was quick to speak up. "Everything was just too fresh, we figured that it'd be best to give you some time to process it all."

Emerson narrowed his eyes, features darkening. "_Didn't think I was ready?_ My mother _died_ before I got to say goodbye for God's sake, and you guys thought I _wasn't ready?_" the young adult hissed. Brandon opened his mouth to retort, it wasn't like that-

"No, let me talk," Emerson snapped at his uncle, the man who had taken himself and his siblings in after everything had happened. "Do you know how _long_ it took me to find some form of closure in all of this? Not knowing _why_ this happened, or what the twins and I did to deserve this?"

"Em-"

"You guys had the answers the whole time?!" Emerson couldn't help himself; tears began to form in his chocolate brown eyes which he shared with his father. "I _trusted_ you, especially when I felt like I couldn't trust anyone else." He said the last part softly.

Kelly, who was full-on crying at this point, moved quickly to envelop her oldest nephew in a tight hug which he tried to resist at first but allowed it to happen. He finally broke down, hot tears spilling down his reddened face rapidly and sobs raking through his body uncontrollably. Not saying a word, Brandon wrapped his arms lovingly around his family, softly crying with them. This wasn't how things were supposed to turn out. Brenda and Dylan were supposed to have lived long enough to watch their children grow up, have families of their own, and grow old together. Funny how life had a way of fucking up plans so suddenly. So permanently.


	2. No Good Time for Goodbyes

_Five Years Earlier_

The early morning sunshine spilled beautifully into the bedroom, gently blanketing the bed and its two occupants, one of which was wide awake, staring at the ceiling. Brenda slowly rolled over to give her husband a sweet kiss, a broad smile on her face. Dylan groaned once, cracking an eye open to peer at the happy woman groggily.

"Morning Bren," he chuckled, placing his hand on her cheek and pulling her into a slow, drawn-out kiss. They sat there for god knows how long, merely being the mushy, overly-affectionate, loving couple that they were. Typically, this would last nearly an hour, plus perhaps a little early-morning sex on the side if Dylan was lucky, but this morning, in particular, Brenda had reluctantly pulled herself out of her husband's touch, getting up out of the warm, comfortable bed. Pouting comically, Dylan sat up quickly.

"Where're you going? I thought you didn't have to be at the theatre till ten." He walked up behind Brenda, wrapping his arms around her waist. She playfully rolled her eyes, turning to face Dylan and kissing him.

"It's opening night tonight; I have to be in a lot earlier to go over last-minute details," she shrugged, turning on the shower and starting to take off her clothes. "Care to join me?" She asked, smirking seductively and raising an eyebrow. Without hesitation, Dylan immediately followed suit, his dirty wish coming true.

...

Nearly forty minutes later, Brenda rushed downstairs to the kitchen, sloppily throwing a ready-made egg sandwich into the microwave while brewing coffee.

"Morning mom," Brenda smiled as her oldest son, Emerson, gave her a peck on the cheek before sticking his head into the fridge in search of something to eat.

Emerson wasn't an incredibly affectionate person, but loved his mother and shared a very tight bond with her. It was funny, he reminded Brenda of Dylan in that aspect; not very trusting towards strangers, but had a select few people he knew he could trust.

"Good morning, Em. Where's the twins?"

The teenager shrugged a shoulder. "Dunno. Blake should be down any second, but I think Eliza's still getting ready." He answered through a mouthful of strawberries.

As if on cue, Blake came rushing down the stairs, his dark hair a fluffy mess, and t-shirt on backward. Brenda gave a small smile, looking her youngest child up and down. "Blake, why is your shirt inside out?"

"Huh?" The little boy looked down at his navy blue shirt, which normally had a Great White shark printed on it, but instead had a tag poking out right underneath his chin. "Whoops, my bad!" Brenda helped the squirmy kid, then ran her fingers through Blake's light brown locks, which he shared with his uncle Brandon, in an attempt to make him _slightly _more presentable.

It seemed to be something new every day with Blake; he enjoyed the attention people gave him from doing silly things on purpose. He'd even told his parents that he one day hopes to be voted "class clown" in high school.

"Mommy, which should I wear? The sunflowers or the butterflies?"

And then there was Elizabeth, or Eliza as everyone called her, the one who reminded Brenda the most of her younger self. Eliza even looked a lot like her mother, so much so that Brandon's nickname for her was "Brenda Jr.".

"Hmm, I think the sunflowers."

"Okay!" The six-year-old dashed up the stairs to throw on her sundress, passing her father on the way. Smirking, Dylan walked up to Brenda and kissed her on the temple.

"What was that about?" he then turned to face his sons, ruffling Blake's thick hair. "Morning boys."

"Morning dad," they said simultaneously.

All of a sudden, a horn blared outside and Emerson instantly stood up, grabbing his bag and phone. "Zack's here, I'm gonna go. Later guys," he gave his parents a short wave goodbye, closing the door swiftly behind him. Brenda soon followed suit, placing her dirty plate into the sink and grabbing her purse.

"I should probably head out too. Today's gonna be pretty long and tiring," Brenda planted a kiss on Blake's head, then moved on to Eliza, who had since returned with her cute little sundress adorned with bright yellow sunflowers. She finally stopped at Dylan, the man she loved so dearly and for so long, giving him a warm, loving kiss before finding her car keys. "I love you guys. Have a great day."

The woman disappeared through the red-painted door, leaving her family behind for the day.

...

About twenty minutes later Brenda was driving down the thruway, the radio playing pop music softly. She was in a chipper mood, not only was she incredibly excited for her play later that night, but her family would all be in attendance, minus her parents of course. Aside from her husband and kids, Brandon and his family were also very supportive of Brenda's career. She always loved seeing Brandon and Kelly cheering her on in the crowd, and the smiling faces of Jason and Jennie, her nephew and niece. It never failed to brighten her day.

Brenda sighed contently, turning her focus back to the road. Just then, she saw something strange out of the corner of her eye, realizing one second too late that it was a swerving car plowing right towards her. With a sickenly loud _WHAM!, _her car was suddenly spiraling out of control. As if it couldn't get any worse, she heard another loud _CRUNCH! _as a second car hit directly into her passenger's side door, pushing her into the metal side railing. The sound of metal being bent and crushed against the railing was dreadful, and Brenda was truly scared for one of the very few times in her life. The car hit with such an immense force, knocking the wind out of its poor driver. She felt as her bones were crushed, the pain being like nothing she'd ever felt before. Blood began to spill out of the various cuts and gashed that now littered Brenda's body, some even beginning to dribble out of the corner of her mouth, the metallic taste indeterminable to the disoriented woman. She fought to keep herself from slipping into unconsciousness; it was so easy to say "fuck it" and give in to the persuasive, coaxing arms of sleep. Her vision began to swim and her hearing sounded like she was underwater, the sound of sirens in the distance being one of the few things she'd heard. Brenda tried with every bit of strength she still had to move, to reach her phone and call her family, tell them how much she loved them-

Her frantic mind suddenly focused on Jason and Jennie. Brenda loved her brother's children just as much as she loved her own, and there had never been a dull moment with the two of them.

Her young twins, Blake and Eliza, were next. Brenda had so much in common with her only daughter, memories of them shopping for new clothes quickly flashed by. Blake and Brenda were also close; the two usually spent time hanging out on the beach on the weekends. A vision of herself and Blake building a sandcastle came and went.

The next family member she saw was Emerson. Brenda remembered bringing him home from the hospital for the first time, which was a big deal for the whole family. She vividly remembered Emerson's precious, little smile when he'd caught his first fish.

Kelly, her sister-in-law and best friend appeared next. Despite everything that had happened between them and Dylan in the past, Brenda still loved Kelly, gently smiling at the time they'd gone shopping for nearly eight hours.

She, of course, couldn't forget about Brandon, her twin and best friend since birth. Yes, they got on each other's nerves occasionally, but Brenda loved her brother to death.

Finally, there was Dylan, the man she'd loved since she was sixteen. Sure, there had been _many_ ups and downs in their relationship, especially in their senior year of high school, but she truly did love him. Despite them being in their late thirties at this point, the couple still acted like teenagers together. Brenda loved her husband and imagined herself happy in Dylan's arms while laughing and smiling with the rest of her family as they talked.

Smiling weakly, Brenda finally gave into her yearning for sleep, her eyes slipping closed peacefully, the outside chaos fading away.

...

The next eight hours were pure hell for both connected families. Reports of the crash had blown up all across the area, and all three of the people involved were in critical condition. Brenda had been rushed to the local hospital where her family found themselves seated in the waiting room, equally scared, anxious, and hopeful. They all had banded together to try and convince themselves that Brenda would be okay….but it didn't look good. However, the doctors had told Dylan, Brandon, and Kelly that surgery could be performed and had a chance of saving Brenda's life. Without thinking twice, the three adults instantly agreed, taking the kids into her room to wish her luck.

"How big are the chances that this'll work?" Brandon asked the doctor, anxiety evident in his voice.

The doctor sighed, clicking his pen once. "About twenty-five to thirty percent, and while they're not great, we'll certainly do our best." He gave Brandon a reassuring smile, which was not returned.

"Thanks," he mumbled emotionlessly before turning to Dylan, who hadn't said more than five words the entire time. "Are you okay?"

Dylan met his brother-in-law's gaze, his face neutral, but eyes full of hurt and panic. "What do you think, Brandon?" He spat, suddenly turning his head down to avoid looking at anyone else. A burst of anger shot through Brandon, almost fueling his urge to snap back at Dylan. What gave _him_ the right to be such an asshole when he wasn't the only one affected by this? Kelly quickly sensed her husband's fury and placed a hand on his shoulder firmly.

"Not here. Not now."

Brandon opened his mouth to retort but knew she was right; he was here to be by his sister's side, not fight with Dylan. Sighing, he silently continued following the doctor to Brenda's room.

The hospital room was just plain depressing. There were wires and monitors everywhere, not to mention the atmosphere itself was just incredibly unsettling for everyone. Brenda was currently unconscious in her bed, various bruises and cuts littering her face from the shattered glass and impact, which practically killed Dylan to see. If he could switch places with her, he would without thinking twice.

"Bren…," he reached out to run his hand delicately through her hair, careful not to hurt his wife. Dylan kneeled next to her bedside, wordlessly burrowing his head into her shoulder.

Blake and Eliza walked next to their father, placing their hands on top of Brenda's. Blake started crying, but only whimpers came out as he tried to hold it in. Feeling bad for her brother, Eliza gave him a one-armed hug, biting her lip as tears welled up in her eyes.

Brandon quickly moved to his sister's other side and took her hand in his own. "You're gonna be okay," he said softly, although it was more an attempt to convince himself. Kelly and their kids stood behind him, all wearing solemn expressions.

The only one not gathered by Brenda was Emerson, who awkwardly stood with his back against the wall facing his mother. He stared at her with wide eyes, completely frozen in place as a million thoughts raced through his head.

Why _her?_

Would she pull out of this?

How much pain was she in?

Emerson's breathing became shaky as tears began to well up in his eyes. He couldn't bear to see his mother, one of the few people he trusted, someone he loved so dearly, in this state. Becoming overwhelmed with anxiety, fear, and emotions, Emerson suddenly turned on his heel and ran right out of the room, hiding his face in his arm as tears poured down his reddened cheeks.

"Emerson, wait!" Brandon called after his nephew, getting up and following him. The distressed teenager did not look back however, he just kept running.

"Em," Brandon cautiously took a step towards Emerson, who currently stood outside in the breezy spring air with his arms wrapped tightly around himself. The boy in question didn't acknowledge Brandon, he just kept looking ahead. "It's okay to be upset, kid. Nothing wrong with that," he tried.

Emerson said nothing.

"I'm scared too, we all are. But we need to be strong for your mom so she can get better."

"Stop lying to yourself," Emerson suddenly whipped around to face his uncle, eyes firey. "Stop lying to _me_. Do you _actually_ think mom is gonna pull herself out of this? Have you _seen_ how she looks?"

Brandon looked at Emerson in shock, completely taken aback by what he'd said. "Let's not think like that-"

"Uncle Brandon, listen to yourself! The doctor even said there was a low chance that she'd recover from the surgery! How can I have hope when a professional is basically telling us that we're _fucked?_"

Both people went silent, Emerson's words still fresh in the air. Brandon found himself at a loss for words, completely unsure of how he should react. Emerson saw the hurt and sorrow in his uncle's eyes, and before he could say or do anything, Brandon leaned in and gave Emerson a tight hug. The boy hesitated at first, but eventually gave in, returning the hug. The two stayed like that for a little, saying nothing, the only noise being Emerson's occasional sniffles. Finally, Brandon broke the embrace and gave Emerson a weak smile.

"Come back in when you're ready."

He nodded, before turning back around and staring out at the cityscape in front of him.

...

Nearly half an hour later, Emerson returned to the waiting room where his family sat, now with the addition of Donna and David's family as well. The adults sat in a circle talking quietly amongst themselves, while the twins and Dane, the youngest of the Silver children, were chatting together. Sitting alone was Danielle, or Dani, who was Dane's older sister. Sighing, Emerson walked by his friend and sat next to her, nodding his head in greeting.

"Hey, dude. I'm really sorry about your mom," Dani said gently, turning to face Emerson. The boy shrugged one shoulder up and down, bringing his eyes up to meet Dani's.

"Thanks," he said simply, leaning back in his chair. Dani opened her mouth to say something else in an attempt to keep the conversation going but stopped herself. This really wasn't the time or place to bug her friend, so she instead placed her hand on his shoulder and smiled supportively.

"I'm here for you Em, always."

Emerson looked up at his friend, nodding once. He didn't say anything nor did he smile, but Dani knew deep down that he appreciated the gesture.

All of a sudden, the doctor walked into the waiting room, a serious look on his face. "Dylan McKay? May I speak with you privately please?"

Dylan rose quickly and followed the doctor, not saying anything or making eye contact with anyone. The atmosphere in the room became tense as everyone held their breaths, praying for good news. Emerson sunk deeper into his chair and stared intensely at the floor. Dani placed her hand on top of Emerson's comfortingly.

Just outside of the waiting room, Dylan stood anxiously in front of the doctor, who was currently flipping through some papers with a stern look on his face.

"Is Brenda okay? Did the surgery…," he trailed off when the doctor gently shook his head solemnly.

"I'm sorry Mr. McKay, but your wife did not make it through. We did everything we could to save her, but too much internal damage was done. She was a fighter though."

At that moment, Dylan felt his heart _shatter_. On that day, a large part of him died right along with his beloved Brenda, and Dylan was never the same ever again.

Shakily, he re-entered the waiting room, everyone's eyes instantly on him. All Dylan had to do was look up and everybody just knew. Sobs and cries came from everyone in the room, with the exception of Emerson, who fell dead silent let out an emotionless: "Oh." He stood up out of his chair and walked out of the room, and found himself outside where he'd been just a short while earlier. Once he knew he was entirely alone, Emerson cried like he never had before.

And just like Dylan, Emerson was never the same after that day.

...

_Present Day_

Emerson currently lay belly-down across his bed, head rested in his crossed arms as he stared at the letter that was carelessly thrown on his messy desk. There was a part of him that was deeply curious as to what it said, but he still couldn't get over the fact that Kelly and Brandon had kept it from him for five whole years. Emerson sat silent and unmoving for a few more minutes before his curiosity got the better of him, and he snatched up the envelope. Being careful, Emerson opened the envelope and removed the actual letter, opening up the papers and began to read.

What he failed to notice was the skinny, folded piece of paper that fell to the floor.


	3. Remembering

_Present Day_

Emerson currently lay belly-down across his bed, head rested in his crossed arms as he stared at the letter that was carelessly thrown on his messy desk, right beside an old boombox he'd borrowed from David. There was a part of him that was deeply curious as to what it said, but he still couldn't get over the fact that Kelly and Brandon had kept it from him for five whole years. Emerson sat silent and unmoving for a few more minutes before his curiosity got the better of him and he snatched up the envelope. Being careful, Emerson opened the envelope and removed the actual letter, opening up the papers and began to read.

What he failed to notice was the skinny, folded piece of paper that fell to the floor.

Being careful, Emerson opened the envelope and removed the actual letter, opening up the papers and began to read. Unfortunately, he didn't notice the little piece of paper that fluttered to the floor.

_6/14/2015_

_Dear Emerson- _

_Let me start this letter off by saying that I love you...so damn much! You're such a great kid, I know you'll grow up to do amazing things. _

_I know things have been...tough to say the least, especially lately, but you're doing a hell of a lot better than I did at your age._

Emerson paused reading, glancing at the lit cigarette held between his fingers. Whoops.

_What I'm trying to say is, you're a strong kid; a fighter, just like your mother. She loved you so freaking much it hurt, and it fucking tears me apart that she couldn't be here to watch you guys grow up. _

_What I'm about to tell you is __**not**__your fault, nor is it anyone else's for that matter. Recently, I've been getting into a lot of trouble with alcohol, and it's part of the reason why I'm not really around much anymore...and it's also why Brandon and Kelly aren't super fond of me at the moment. I'm hurting a lot Em, and I'm trying my absolute best to stay strong for not only you, but Eliza and Blake too, you're all I have left. I don't know how much longer I can hold on, but trust that I am trying. I love the three of you so much, I can't let you all see me like this. _

_No matter what happens, I'll always love you bud. Never forget that. _

_Love always,_

_Dad _

Emerson let out a sad sigh, his eyes brimming with tears as he scanned the letter again. Just two days after the letter was written, Emerson would learn that his father had also been killed in a car crash, the details were very minimal, but hit the McKay children hard. Dylan's death came only five weeks after Brenda's, not giving the broken family much of a chance to breathe before another major loss. Folding the letter carefully back up, Emerson placed it in a keepsake plastic bin full of pictures of both of his parents, other letters, poems from Dylan, and their wedding album.

Generally, Emerson wouldn't go searching through the bin as it contained incredibly painful memories, but he couldn't help but take a peek. There were a few loose pictures of himself, Dylan, and Brenda, standing in the middle of Universal Studios, bright smiles on each of their faces. In one of the pictures, Emerson noticed his younger self holding a kind of cheap-looking, blue plush teddy bear, which he still currently had sitting on his bed. He then moved on to the letters and poems, which were for his birthdays. Obviously he did get a lot more from his parents than just poems and letters, but Emerson loved these better than most of the other gifts he'd received ever. He smiled as he read the letters hed been getting since he was just five years old. There had never been a question as to if Dylan and Brenda loved their children; they gave them the world, and any other thing they may have wanted for that matter.

Emerson smiled, a rare sight, as he let a single tear slip down his cheek. He gently placed the beloved letters back into the bin, finally taking out the wedding album. Opening the cover, he noticed a little "congratulations" note scribbled on the inside, signed Donna and David, who had taken the pictures and put the album together for their friends. Flipping the pages, Emerson saw pictures of both wedding parties, all of whom he recognized, his parents' first kiss and dance as a married couple, and a bunch more of them just being happy. There were a few pictures of himself there; Emerson vividly remembered the wedding. Back then, he'd been eight years old, and his parents had decided to wed because, well, they were deeply in love. It was certainly one of the happiest times of his life.

Exhaling, Emerson closed the album and placed it back in the bin, which he shoved under his bed to be hidden for another few years.

"Hey Em," his little cousin, Jennie's voice rang out all of a sudden. She burst into his room, seeing him jump and wipe at his reddened face. "Jay and I are going to the Pit to hang with the gang, we're taking you with us," Jennie noticed the distant look on her cousin's face. "You good?"

Emerson cleared his throat awkwardly, placing up his metaphorical barriers once again. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said shortly. "And no, I'm staying right here."

Jennie shook her head and rolled her eyes, her dirty blonde hair swinging from side to side as she did so. "You're coming, like it or not. Dani will be here soon with her parents, so be ready."

"_No_, Jen. I'm not going anywhere, I said I didn't want to."

"Come on, Emerson! You've been locked in your room for god knows how long, just come out and socialize. Stop sulking around for once." Jennie gave Emerson a sour look.

Jennie suddenly felt an uneasy feeling as she noticed her cousin's features darken, the nastiest frown she'd ever seen, plastered on his face. "Oh, like you _know_ what I'm going through. All these years, you've been nothing but oblivious to every _goddamn _thing that's happened with my parents," he now stood up, arms crossed tightly over his chest. "You think it's just that easy to "stop sulking"? Figures you'd assume that, all you are is a spoiled little _bitch_ who has everything handed to her. Oh, poor Jennie! She's _not_ an orphan, she's happy all the time, she has _no_ cares or worries in the world! What a fuckin' _sob story_," Emerson snapped.

Jennie winced at Emerson's words; he was trying to bring her down too, but she wouldn't give him that satisfaction. Her icy blue eyes met Emerson's chocolate brown ones, her gaze tough and stinging. "Oh, _I'm_ the one who has a sob story?" she let out a short, cold chuckle. "What about _you?_ The kid who doesn't know how to buck up and move on with his life? The past is in the past, Emerson. There's nothing you can do to bring aunt Brenda and uncle Dylan back, they're _dead!_" For the first time ever, she saw a hint of emotion in Emerson's eyes. Judging by the way he'd flinched, Jennie knew she'd hit him in his most vulnerable spot. For a brief moment, she contemplated going over and giving him a hug, but ultimately decided against it. He needed to hear the truth. "They're gone, Em. Don't you dare think for one second that you're the only one affected by this; my dad cried himself to sleep every night for a very long time, that was his _twin_ he'd lost. Mom regretted butting heads with aunt Bren, she _still_ does to this day, and wishes she could take it all back. Jason and I feel this empty void that nobody can ever fill again," Jennie felt her anger subside, but still kept a stern face. "You're not the only one who was broken by this, Em. The only difference between the four of us and you is that we chose to accept it and move on. Real question is, when will you?"

Emerson simply stared wordlessly at his cousin, completely unsure of how to feel or what to say. The cousins suddenly heard the front door open and the happy voices of Donna, David, Danielle, and Dane ringing out as they entered the house. Jennie frowned, no longer facing her cousin. "Dani's here, Jay and I are leaving. You're more than welcome to join."

He didn't acknowledge Jennie's offer, and plopped down onto his bed, Jennie's words still fresh in his brain. Emerson sat silently for a few minutes and didn't even react when he heard a gentle knock at his door.

"Em?" Danielle poked her head into her best friend's room, cautiously taking a step inside. "Are you gonna come with us?"

Emerson didn't answer at first, only bringing his eyes up to meet Danielle's. "I dunno, Dani," he mumbled.

Danielle sighed, walking over to Emerson's bed and sitting beside him, placing a gentle hand on top of his. "Jen told me what happened," she noticed Emerson tense up. "It's okay to be hurting still, you're doing a hell of a lot better than I would be," she chuckled sweetly, feeling her friend's angry energy begin to subside. "But she's right, y'know. You need to start trying to let go of all the hurt, regret, and whatever else you might be holding onto. It'll only hurt you even more in the end."

Emerson sighed, raising an eyebrow at Dani. "Since when did you become my therapist?"

The girl laughed, secretly glad to have Emerson's dry humor beginning to show itself again, like the sun on an endless, dark, stormy day.

"Dani, let's go! We're gonna be late!" Jason called from downstairs faintly.

"I guess I should get going now, " Dani stood up, giving Emerson a tight hug. "Feel better, Em."

Emerson hugged Dani back shyly. "Thanks, Doctor Sliver, " he said with a wink.

Dani giggled, smiling brightly. "Anytime, McKay."

The dark brown-haired girl turned on her heel and began to walk out, when she stopped at the sound of Emerson's voice. "Is there room for one more?" he asked bashfully.

"Always. Let's go."

The two friends headed downstairs, where the Walsh kids were waiting, rather impatiently, especially Jennie. She was tapping her foot, huffing and puffing all the while, but stopped when she saw Danielle with Emerson in tow. Jennie blinked her eyes, puzzled.

"You're coming, Em?" Even Jason looked surprised.

Emerson shrugged, rocking back and forth on his heels. "Guess so. I'll drive us there, " he volunteered, heading into the kitchen to grab the keys to his Porsche. All three kids looked at each other, utterly confused by their dear old Emerson's sudden change of heart, but neither objected.

In the kitchen, Kelly, Brandon, David, and Donna were chatting idly, giving the occasional laugh here and there. At the sound of her nephew's footsteps, Kelly turned around and gave him a surprised look.

"Em, you're going with Jen and Jay?"

He turned towards his aunt, a faint smirk on his lips. "Yeah, I am. Changing things up a little today."

"Okay, have fun sweetie."

The four teenagers disappeared from the house soon after, and Kelly and Brandon seemed content with the new change in Emerson. David, who'd been watching the whole exchange, piped up.

"First time leaving the house or something?"

Sighing, Brandon nodded. "Yeah. He's been closing himself off for the longest time now, and I think the kids finally got through to him."

"That's great! I'm glad he's starting to feel better about everything," Donna smiled, a genuine look of pride in her eyes.

"Well, I don't know about _that_, but he's definitely starting off on the right foot," Kelly confirmed. "Em's got a great group of friends to help him along, though."

Everyone nodded in agreement, hopeful expressions on each of their faces. The conversation briefly died down before it was picked back up again when the topic of jobs came up. Eventually it had been David's turn to share about his job as a record producer, which reminded him of the boombox Emerson had borrowed.

"It's in his room, I'll go get it for you," Kelly said, getting up from her spot at the table and heading upstairs. Once in her nephew's room, Kelly saw the expected teenage mess that greeted her, and her eyes eventually fell onto the boombox. She carefully picked it up and turned to walk out of the door, when she noticed a small, folded piece of paper on the floor. Curious, Kelly grabbed and opened it, her jaw dropping in shock at what was written on it.

_Emerson- _

_I know what happened to your father, and it's not what everyone else thinks. This is __**not **__a joke, please trust me. If you want to know more, call me at the number below. _

_-G.K._


	4. New Truths and Some Lies

Kelly's jaw dropped in utter shock as her eyes frantically scanned the note over and over. It couldn't be true, Dylan would _never_ abandon his kids. Completely floored, Kelly ran downstairs to the group downstairs, slapping the paper in front of Brandon. "Guys, please read this and tell me I'm not crazy."

Confused, he picked it up and read it, a chill running down his spine. "Kel, where did you find this?" he asked cautiously. Before she answered, David plucked the paper out of Brandon's hand, reading it to himself.

"Emerson's room, right on the floor. I thought it was garbage and was gonna throw it away, but my curiosity got the best of me and I opened it," she studied David and Donna's faces as they comprehended the information. "And it's a good thing I did."

"You think Emerson knows about this?" Donna asked, referring to the note. Kelly shook her head solemnly.

"Definitely not. Knowing him, he would've done something about it by now."

Donna frowned as she kept re-reading the note. The number looked familiar but, figuring it was just a coincidence, shrugged and handed it back to Kelly. "This is so weird," she muttered.

"We have to tell the kids," Brandon said in an almost-robotic tone. He had no idea how to start the conversation, but they deserved to know. Kelly nodded in agreement. He noticed his wife typing frantically on her phone, constantly peering back at the note. "What're you doing Kel?"

"Calling the number."

"Don't," David suddenly stood up, grabbing the paper from his step-sister's hands and holding it out of her reach.

"What the hell, David?" Kelly asked, pissed off.

He handed the paper off to Brandon, who stuffed it into his pocket. "The note wasn't written to or for you, Kel. It's Emerson's."

Kelly began to feel guilty. "Yeah, but I want to know who wrote this and if it's legit!"

"We all do, but it's none of our business unless Emerson decides to tell us," David was curious too, and did feel a sense of protection over the boy, but knew it wasn't right. Kelly opened her mouth to continue arguing, but sighed in defeat.

"Okay. I'll leave it to him."

"Good."

And just like that the subject was dropped, though, each adult couldn't help but wonder what was to come next after Emerson made the call.

…

Early the next morning, Kelly found herself at the kitchen counter, a cup of coffee in hand as she stared blankly out the window. She'd barely slept the previous night, and found it incredibly hard to face either of the McKay kids, especially Emerson, who Kelly knew would have a hard time with the truth. It really tore her up to keep it from him and, no longer able to contain it, marched up to her nephew's room. Emerson was normally an early riser, but Kelly still gave a gentle, soft knock at his door just in case. Within a few seconds, he answered the door.

"Hey Aunt Kel. To what do I owe the occasion?" He asked with a smirk practically identical to his father's.

Kelly gave a weak smile. "Hey Em. Can I talk to you for a minute? This is really important."

The smirk slipped from the young adult's face. He could tell by his aunt's body language that something was bothering her. What that "something" was, he had no clue. "Uh, yeah sure, come in." He stepped aside and plopped down onto his bed, Kelly taking a seat next to him. His anxiety rose as Kelly took a deep breath, looking at him with worried eyes.

"I found this in your room yesterday while looking for David's boombox," she held up a slip of paper between her fingers. Carefully, Emerson took it into his own hands, naturally opening it up. Kelly bit her lip as she watched Emerson's face go pale, as if he'd just seen a ghost.

He didn't say anything at first, only staring at the words as if they were written in another language. This could _not_ be real, it had to be a joke! A sick, unfunny, cruel, joke! Right?

"I know it's a lot to take in, honey. And if you don't want to call right away-"

"Aunt Kelly, can I have a few minutes to myself please?"

Kelly looked up to see Emerson frantically typing the number into his phone, his expression unreadable. "Of course," she muttered, getting up and walking out of the door. Right there, she should've walked back to her bedroom but instead, Kelly sat outside and listened quietly. She heard nothing for a little bit, only the sound of Emerson's footsteps as he allegedly paced back and forth. After about thirty seconds, Kelly finally heard Emerson's voice.

"Uh hi, this is Emerson McKay, the one you wrote the note to. I guess you're either busy right now or pranking me pretty hard. Whatever the reason, just call me back at this number. Bye."

Meanwhile in the next room over, Eliza currently sat cross-legged on her bed, a copy of Shakespeare's _Romeo and Juliet _in her hands, which she closed and tossed onto her bed, suddenly bored.

"Blake."

"Mmm," her younger twin brother's answer came muffled from underneath his pillow.

"I want food, can you ask uncle Brandon if we can get pizza or something?"

Blake picked up the corner of the pillow to look at his sister, eyes narrowed comically. "Why can't you? I'm busy."

"He likes you better, and you are _not_ busy," Eliza slid off of her bed and onto the floor, pouting at her brother's "sleeping" figure.

"Oh, he does _not_. You always make me do your dirty work and it sucks," Blake complained. "You go do it. You still owe me from _all_ the other times you've made me ask stuff for you," he noticed Eliza open her mouth to retaliate, but instantly interjected. "And before you try and object, last time you told me you'd pay me back. So pay up, sister," he smirked, barely holding in a laugh as Eliza rolled her eyes and huffed in defeat.

"Fine," she stood up from the floor, making her way to the door. She stopped upon hearing Brandon and Kelly's voices just down the hall. Curious, Eliza cracked open the door, barely poking her head out to listen better.

"Kel we talked about this, let Em have his space-" Eliza heard her uncle start, but he was cut off by her aunt.

"I _know_, Brandon! But I can't help but be a little protective over him, this isn't just some minor little situation! We're talking about the possibility of this kid's long-lost father being alive, you and I both know he might not take this well."

Eliza saw her uncle run his fingers through his hair and nod once. "I know," he admitted, in a voice just above a whisper.

Wait, long-lost father? The girl frowned, genuinely confused. They _had_ to be talking about someone else, it wouldn't make any sense otherwise! Maybe they knew another guy named Emerson? Not a super common name, but it's possible. Well then wait, why would Kelly and Brandon be acting so protective over some random dude? Did they know him from childhood? Then _that_ would make zero sense, Eliza didn't know of any honorary "uncle Emerson's"! What the fuck…?

Suddenly, the familiar ringing of Emerson's cellphone blared, the two eavesdropping females- Brandon having left due to guilt- holding their breaths as Emerson pressed the "accept" button.

Resting against the messy desk in his room, Emerson held his iPhone 11 in his hand, watching the device vibrate as it flashed the mysterious person's number in large print, with "New York, NY" written below. Of course, he was going to answer it, but what would he _say_ to this person? It must not be a hoax, because they were actually calling him back. He looked down at the phone once more, and quickly realizing that it would only buzz about one or two more times, pressed "accept" without allowing himself any more time to overthink it.

"H-hello?"

_"__Hi. Am I speaking to Emerson McKay?"_ The person on the other side of the line sounded like a woman and was very unfamiliar.

"Yes. Can I ask who you are?" Emerson didn't know why, but he suddenly felt nervous as all hell. He took a deep breath in an attempt to calm his nerves.

_"__My name is Gina Kincaid, I'm an old friend of Dylan's," _Emerson heard her sigh heavily over the phone, only adding to his curiosity and anxiety. _"__And there's a lot you need to know about him."_

"Okay," was all he could say.

There was a beat of silence that passed over them before Gina spoke up again. "_Where do you want me to start?"_

"The beginning?" It came out as more of a smartass question, but something was telling him that this woman was purposely trying to avoid giving a direct answer.

Emerson heard yet another sigh, this one sounding impatient and kind of bitchy. "Listen lady, you're the one who wrote saying you needed to speak to me, so either tell me what's up or leave me alone." Kelly, who was still listening from outside, smirked to herself. Yup, he was definitely his mother's son.

_"__N-no, please don't hang up!" _Gina sounded desperate. _"__I'll tell you, but you might wanna sit down for this one…"_

The boy frowned, completely sick of her shit. "I'll be _fine_, Miss. Just tell me," he spoke through his teeth.

_"__You're father...he's…"_

"He's…?"

Gina sat silent, Emerson gripping his phone in suspense.

_"__Dylan is still alive. I've been in contact with him the whole time. He misses you guys __**so**__,__so much, tells me every time I talk with him. But your father doesn't feel ready to come back into your lives yet, he's mentally in a very bad spot now. I promise, Dylan loves you so much." _

Emerson felt dizzy. His head was reeling, heart racing, and head pounding. "N-no, you're _lying!_ Who the hell are you, trying to feed me these _disgusting,_ _shitty_ lies about my father?!"

_"__No I swear, I'm __**not **__lying to you-"_

"Do you even _know_ my father? I bet you don't even know what he looked like, or what his birthday was, or anything about his family for that matter!"

_"__Dylan had brown hair and brown eyes, which were impossible to read. He has always been emotionally distant but has never been afraid to show his love for either of you guys: Brenda, you, Elizabeth, or Blake. Back when we had dated for a short time, he didn't mention your mother very much, but the few times we did talk about her, he always seemed...different. I remember his eyes practically lighting up in adoration. He loved her so much, Emerson. I remember his birthday was in October, couldn't tell you what day. Dylan never really mentioned his father much, but said to be on better terms with his mother. After he and I broke up, we never really spoke much, I just assume he'd finally reconnected with Brenda, which proved to be correct, considering he has the three of you. So to answer your question Emerson, yes, I do know a few things about your father. Believe me now?"_

Emerson was tongue-tied, pretty shocked at how much this "Gina" woman actually knew. "You do know him," he muttered, more to himself. All that did was make this whole situation even more sickening. "Whoa, wait. You said you've been talking to him recently?"

_"__Yes. Every few weeks for the past five years." _

He shook his head incredulously. "Why now did you all of a sudden think it was a great idea to share this with me? Why not say something, I don't know, _right when you found out? _It would've been nice to know this, y'know." Emerson spat sarcastically.

_"__I-I know, Emerson, and I did say something right when I found out! I just...thought you'd read the letter a lot sooner than this." _

"Okay, but my aunt and uncle didn't give me the letter till now. So why not try harder?" Emerson was trying to keep himself together but felt multiple different emotions bundle up inside of him. He didn't know if he was about to scream in fury or burst into tears, and as the minutes slowly ticked by and the more information he gained, the harder it became to compose himself.

_"__I was a coward. I came so close to snooping around to eventually lead myself to you but managed to convince myself that you must've thought it was a joke and threw the note away. It was shitty, I know, but I was under a lot of pressure at the time."_

Emerson rolled his eyes and shook his head. Cry me a fucking river. "Where is my father now? And if I don't know you, then how have you been relaying everything to him this whole time without being found out?"

_"__Last I heard from him, he's in Southern Florida, Miami I believe. That was two weeks ago, he seems to have a pattern. He'll stay in one town or city for about four or five weeks, then move to somewhere totally different. As for how I know about you...social media's to blame. I also occasionally talk to my sister, Donna, here and there. I ask, but try not to make it super obvious." _

The boy rubbed his temples, suddenly getting a serious migraine. "Your sister Donna? Please don't tell me you're talking about Donna Silver…"

The forced, awkward laugh from the other gave him his answer. _"__Yup, Donna Silver's my half-sister."_

"Jesus fucking Christ," Emerson mumbled, doing all he could from repeatedly slamming his head against a wall. "I swear if you tell me she's in on this too-"

_"__No, she doesn't know. No one else does, and that's how Dylan wants it." _

"Let me get this straight. You dated my father, somehow managed to gain enough of his trust, broke up, didn't speak for over twenty years, came back in contact when mom died, and have been covering his ass for the past five years? And just because he "isn't doing well" sounds like a pretty shitty excuse to abandon your children." Emerson was starting to crack.

_"__Look, I know this seems bad, and ill-intended, and what have you. But he had his reasons-"_

"What reasons? If he was feeling so bad about himself, then he should've just owned up to it and been honest instead of just _faking his own death_ this whole time. I'll bet he doesn't even know the hell he's put my siblings and me through, all while he's living it up in Miami. Way to go, father of the motherfuckin' year," Emerson squeezed his eyes shut, trying to keep himself from crying.

_"__I know this looks bad-"_

"Damn right this looks bad! Yeah, I'm grateful for my aunt and uncle, all of us are, but do you know the toll this has taken on us?" Emerson's voice became low and toxic. Only cowardly silence came from the other end of the line. "There were nights where Eliza would have nightmares of losing mom and dad over and over again. Kelly, Brandon, my cousins, and I did everything we could to comfort her, but do you know the one person she'd always asked for?"

More cowardly silence.

"If you guessed dad, you're correct. Come on down and claim your prize for being the most heartless bitch who's ever lived," tears flowed freely down Emerson's face, but he did everything possible to keep the shakiness out of his voice. "Oh, and Blake? Just because he's always cracking jokes and wearing a smile on his face doesn't mean he's happy; I've caught him a few times crying into his pillow, wanting nothing more than the comforting love of his parents."

_"__I get it, okay?" _Gina's voice sounded watery as if she were on the verge of tears herself, but Emerson truly didn't give a damn.

"No, you **DON'T!** You've had so many opportunities to find me, call me, sit me down, **everything!** I could've found and brought him home earlier, given my siblings some sense of normalcy again! But _no__,_ it was "too hard" for you. Things got a little uncomfortable and instead of pushing past it, what did you do? You let three children live without knowing that the father, whom they thought was dead, gone forever, nothing more than a memory, was actually still alive and kicking it in Miami. Wow, great job _Gina,_" he said her name as if it were poison on his tongue. He ran his fingers through his hair, taking a deep breath. "I'm gonna hang up now. Thanks for nothing you filthy scumbag."

Emerson pushed the red button, ending the call and throwing the phone onto his bed. That's when all the emotions came swimming back and punched him in the gut all at once. Not giving anything a second thought, he pulled the sweatshirt he'd been wearing over his head and just sobbed. It was a whole mix of things: anger, shock, sadness, even a little bit of relief. Yes, Dylan was alive, but Emerson needed a little bit of time to himself right now.

…

Right outside the door, Kelly heard everything that had happened. Her sharp ears had even caught the writer's name: Gina. She instantly thought back to the initials left on the note, G.K. It was her, Gina Kincaid. Was she surprised? Well yeah, who wouldn't be? But hell, she was also _pissed__._ God, was she pissed. How could Gina be so selfish and hold on to such important details like that? At least tell someone! Kelly wanted so badly to open her nephew's door and comfort him, but after everything had been said and done, figured that he'd want some breathing space. Fuming, she turned around to head back to her bedroom when she locked eyes with Eliza, who wore a confused, yet hopeful, expression.

"Eliza, are you okay honey?"

"Those things Emerson said...are they true?" She was obviously referring to Dylan. Kelly couldn't lie.

"Yes, it's true, your dad is alive," she noticed Eliza's eyes light up. "But he can't-"

"I can't believe it, daddy's alive!" The girl squealed, crying tears of pure joy. Blake, hearing his twin's cries, emerged from his bedroom and looked up at his aunt.

"Dad's alive?" A huge smile stretched across his face as he shared a tight hug with Eliza. Kelly gave them a weak smile, kneeling down to their levels.

"Your dad is alive, but it's a lot more complicated-"

"Wait, but if he's not dead, then why hasn't he come home?" Eliza wrinkled her nose, puzzled.

"Well, he's kind of busy right now," Kelly wanted to punch herself for lying to them, but eleven-year-olds were too young to know the full truth at the moment. "But I'm sure he'll come home when he's ready."

"Ooo!" Blake did an excited little hop. "What if we ask where he is and drive or fly over to wherever to see him?"

Kelly winced, finding it increasingly hard to keep fibbing to the orphans who just realized they were no longer orphans.

"What about mom? Is she with dad too?" Eliza's smile seemed to widen.

"N-no, your mother truly is gone, guys," Kelly watched sadly as the twins' happy energy greatly decreased, but noted the hopeful gleam in each of their eyes. "But if you guys just give it a little bit of time, your father will be back. Trust me on this, okay?"

That wasn't exactly the answer they were hoping for, but both turned to go back into their rooms. Eliza gleefully bumped shoulders with her brother. "I'm gonna write a whole bunch of poems for dad when he comes back! I know how much he loves them."

"Yeah, me too!" Blake exclaimed, giddily following Eliza.

Kelly now stood alone in the hallway, eyes flickering back and forth between the twins' room and Emerson's room. Dylan turned out to be alive the whole time and hiding out in Miami according to Gina, who had been covering for him the whole time. The thought of her made Kelly truly _sick_, and Dylan truly wasn't her favorite person right now either. Sure, there was a part of her that was glad he was alive, but again, that was the same man who had abandoned his kids for whatever reason, who was probably getting wasted and sleeping around again, and who had followed in his father's footsteps. All that talk of never wanting to abandon his future children as his own father had done to him now meant absolutely _nothing_ to Kelly. As far as she was concerned, Dylan was nothing but a hypocritical jackass.


	5. It's Like I'm a Mirror

It had been nearly a full fifteen hours since the McKay children had learned of their father _not_ being dead after five years of making everyone think so. The twins, being so young and naïve, were of course more than excited to go and find Dylan so they could be a family again. Opposingly, Kelly and Brandon truly did not want to see their brother-in-law; they were absolutely _livid_ with him, completely unable to wrap their heads around the situation. As a father himself, Brandon couldn't for the life of him understand Dylan's reasoning behind the abandonment, especially considering his background. However, neither Kelly nor Brandon wanted to deprive Emerson, Elizabeth, or Blake of their father any longer. Why did things have to be so complicated?

And then there was Emerson. No doubt he'd been more than a little shocked by the revelation, even taking time to himself in order to better understand the situation, which- spoiler alert- didn't work. He was _pissed_ at Gina for sitting on this information for so long; what gave _her_ the right to keep Dylan a secret from Eliza and Blake for so long? Now, Emerson was never a violent person- matter of fact, he was a huge mush and hated physical violence- but he legit wanted to punch this bitch in the face. No one hurt his siblings and got away with it.

Funny thing was, Gina wasn't entirely at fault here. Dylan was just as much to blame for hiding away, but Emerson found it a lot more fun to imagine himself cursing out Gina to hell and back. Speaking of Dylan, Emerson now knew where he was...well, at least what city he was in. Unfortunately, he hadn't asked for Dylan's exact whereabouts; Emerson supposed that was up to him to figure out. And the easiest way to crack the code was to fly down to Miami himself and just start asking a whole shit ton of questions to a bunch of strangers in hopes that _someone_ would know _something_ about his father, even if it was minor. Not thinking twice, Emerson found a discarded, crunched-up duffle bag underneath his bed and hastily began packing, being careful to not make too much noise in the process; after all, it was nearly one o'clock in the morning at this point. He carelessly threw a few shirts, pants, and other important items into the bag, including a notebook and pen, before zipping it up and slinging it over his shoulder. Okay, so he was _actually_ doing this. He was going to find the man who he'd presumed to be dead for five years; the man whom he called his father. Of course, no one in his family had any idea of what he was planning to do, and quite frankly, nobody needed to know anyways. He'd just text them once he landed in Miami. Plain and simple.

Carefully, Emerson crept out of his bedroom, the floorboards creaking slightly underneath his feet. Instead of heading in the direction of the stairs, Emerson found himself standing in the twins' doorway, a feeling of protectiveness joining his stubbornness. He walked over and knelt by Eliza's bedside, softly placing a hand on her shoulder. "Sleep well, Liz. I'll miss you," he gave his little sister a kiss on the forehead, before going to the baby of the family. Blake was sleeping in an awkward pose: knees against his chest curled in a ball, blanket kicked onto the floor, and pillow on the opposite side of the bed. The sight made Emerson smile.

"Keep an eye on the family, B," the oldest whispered, giving Blake a kiss too. Standing back up, Emerson made his way out of the room, but not before adding a quick, "I love you" into the comforting darkness of the bedroom. On his way to the staircase, he passed Jason and Jennie's rooms, who he whispered a short, yet loving, "goodbye" to his cousins, then finally coming across his aunt and uncle's room. Emerson briefly considered poking his head in before he left but, looking down at the plane ticket open on his phone, thought better of it to avoid waking the adults up.

As swiftly and as quietly as possible, Emerson made his way down the stairs and to the front door. He reached for the handle but paused when a framed picture caught his eye. It was of his entire immediate family, including Brenda and Dylan, when they'd all decided to go on a trip to Palm Springs the summer before the accident. The memory of the trip itself was great, but it hurt Emerson to re-visit the thought…

"You're up late," came a voice from behind. The young adult snapped his head around in surprise, staring wide-eyed at Brandon, who stood with his arms crossed and a smirk across his face. "Judging by that look on your face, I'm gonna go out on a whim here and guess that you're up to no good."

Emerson sputtered a few incomprehensible words, gripping the bag on his shoulder tightly. "Uh… no, just walking around is all." he gave a strained smile, hoping that his uncle was half-asleep and would simply walk away. Unfortunately for Emerson though, Brandon wasn't stupid, nor was he half-asleep for that matter.

"Walking around with your stuffed duffle bag, fully dressed in day clothes, with an open JetBlue ticket on your phone screen?"

"Damnit." Emerson might have been good at hiding emotions, but hiding lies? To put it gently, his lying skills were shit.

"You've never been good at sneaking around, Em," Brandon took another couple of steps closer to his nephew. "Be honest: what were you planning on doing with that ticket?"

The teenager looked down, huffing as he knew there was no getting out of this one. "Miami. I _have_ to find dad and somehow convince him to come home, not just for me, but for the twins," he took a mental note of how Brandon's concerned expression slowly twisted into a frown. "I imagine you and aunt Kel don't really wanna see or speak to him right now, and I don't blame you, but they _need_ to see him again. _I_ need to see him again," Emerson muttered the last part. Brandon let out a tired, exhausted sigh. He too had been up all night thinking about Dylan's incredibly selfish abandonment, and Emerson had hit the nail right on the head: he didn't want _anything_ to do with his brother-in-law. Literally nothing.

But that wasn't exactly his choice to make right now. Maybe things could've been different if three-quarters of the house hadn't eavesdropped on Emerson's conversation, but Brandon knew he had to put his own negative feelings aside in order to give the McKay kids one of the two things they'd been missing for so long: their father.

"We'll talk more about this in the morning, Em," he noticed Emerson scrunch up his face in anger. "And before you say anything, no, I'm not discouraging you from going to find Dylan. You just need a more organized plan is all."

The emotion faded from Emerson's face as Brandon slowly turned away and walked back upstairs. Okay, definitely not the response he'd expected. A large part of him was relieved Brandon wasn't keeping him from going, and maybe the old guy was right; he would need a way better plan than just flying there and expecting to get lucky.

**...**

Early the next morning, Emerson woke up and found himself at the table with a cereal spoon dangling from his mouth. Rice Krispies crumbs floated in a rather depressing bowl of milk, which was chock full of sweetness from the white sugar he'd sprinkled in for an early-morning "kickstarter". Emerson had, of course, canceled his flight to Miami, but as he glanced at the time on his phone, couldn't help but think that if he'd gone through with his plan- if one could even call it that- he would've been in Florida already and would have begun the search for Dylan. Truth be told, he was tempted to just book another ticket right now and leave, but he knew better to trust in Brandon and Kelly.

Speaking of, the two adults of the house came walking into the room, Jason strolling casually in tow. He looked tired, but upon seeing his cousin, lightened up. "Em, why're you up so early?"

Emerson exchanged a barely-noticeable glance with his aunt and uncle. Judging by the looks on their faces, Jason didn't know about the private talk they were about to have, nor was he really supposed to be here. "Couldn't sleep. Hey um, I have to talk to your parents about something for a little, why don't you chill here and later on, we can head to the park and do some skateboarding? Maybe get some ice cream or something later?"

Jason shrugged, nodding once. "Sure thing, that's fine."

Emerson gave his little cousin a small smile before turning to Brandon and Kelly. "Okay, let's go out back."

Once the three were settled in their respective chairs, Kelly was the first to speak up. "Em, I heard what happened last night, and we want to help you," she exchanged glances with her husband, who offers a small, reassuring smile.

"Alright, I'm listening."

"Well, we both know you want to find your father and need a more elaborate plan, but you might not like the idea we came up with," Kelly paused as Emerson cocked his head, puzzled. "Brandon and I think you should contact Gina again and get more information from her. Yes, you know Dylan's in Miami, but you need to see if she has at least _some_ idea of where exactly he is."

Emerson frowned, a pit of anger forming in his stomach. "Do I _have_ to talk to her again? I might just end up snapping if I have to hear any more of her lame excuses again," he rolled his eyes. Kelly placed a reassuring hand on her nephew's shoulder, nodding.

"I know, I totally understand why you're hesitant and honestly, I wouldn't want to either," she chuckled.

"But we think it would be beneficial to you, especially since you're planning on going down there," Brandon chimed in, fighting to hold back a laugh himself.

Emerson smirked, shaking his head comically. "I get it, I can see your reasoning behind it. Just don't wanna talk to her again is all," he reached into his back pocket and placed his phone on the table. "But I'll do it if it'll get me further ahead."

Both adults smiled proudly, Kelly giving him a kiss on the forehead, while Brandon affectionately ruffled Emerson's hair. "Okay, bud. We'll give you your space, just come inside when you're done. Feel free to fill us in afterward," Brandon said with a wink. Emerson nodded, before punching in Gina's number. He hesitated a moment before pressing "call". The phone rang three times.

_"Hello?"_

Gina's voice made him cringe. "Hi, it's Emerson McKay again."

_"Oh. Hi again, Emerson. What can I do for you?"_ Her voice sounded flat, void of any emotion.

"I have a few more questions about my father, think you could answer them?"

Gina sat silent for a moment, some rustling was heard on the other side of the line._ "L-listen kid, this isn't the best time right now. Can you call back later?" _

"Actually no, I'd like to get this done now, please. Don't you think I've waited long enough for my answers?" He sneered.

There was an audible sigh heard from the other side of the phone. _"Alright, here: how about you meet me in public and we can talk about this face-to-face? You can ask all the questions you want, say whatever you want, I don't care. Deal?"_

Emerson paused, thinking. He wanted his damn answers, but meeting her face-to-face might be more beneficial to him; he could involve Brandon and Kelly, maybe have them ask some questions or just be there for moral support. What did he have to lose?

"Sure. When and where?"

_"I'm free this Friday at 3. You choose where to meet." _

"How about the Peach Pit?"

_"Okay, I'll see you then."_

Without saying anything else, Emerson hung up the phone and sighed. What a shit storm this had turned out to be. All he could do now was wait, and make sure his uncle and aunt were right beside him the whole time.

…

Friday came relatively quickly, and Emerson wasn't quite sure how to feel. Unsurprisingly, Brandon and Kelly had agreed to accompany him to the Pit, which at least gave him a little bit of security. Currently, the family sat at a table waiting patiently for the secretive woman to show up; Kelly swore on the way there that if Gina didn't show, then she'd "run that bitch over with an 18-wheeler".

The little bell which sat just above the door suddenly jingled, all three heads turning to look at the brunette who now stood in the doorway. Looks like Kelly wouldn't need that 18-wheeler after all.


	6. Pieces

Gina made painfully awkward eye contact with both Brandon and Kelly, instantly recognizing them despite their slight aging, and offering a tight-lipped smile as she made her way over to the trio. Her gesture was not returned by either of them.

Brandon slid into the booth next to his wife and nephew as Gina pulled out a chair opposite to them, plopping down and carefully studying each family member. Emerson, although sporting a stern frown on his face, was clearly anxious and scared; she could see it in his eyes. Kelly looked pissed, her blue eyes drilling directly into Gina, but she wasn't the slightest bit intimidated. If this were any other time or day, Gina would've laughed right in the blonde's face. Brandon wore an uninviting expression, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

"Long time no see, you guys. Seems like you've worked out all your...ah...relationship problems for the better," Gina smiled a fake smile at the couple, Kelly visibly _fuming_. "So Emerson, what did you wanna ask me?" She now faced the young boy, who took mental notes at the obvious, unresolved issues between his guardians and this strange woman.

"Right...so, do you know exactly where my father is? You told me he was in Miami but has he sent you any specifics?" Emerson took out a pen and paper to scribble important notes.

Gina shook her head. "No, he's been very minimal in what he tells me. Just that he's in Miami, he misses you all, and he's in a tough place mentally," she shrugged, the short-lived gesture not lost on Kelly. She narrowed her eyes; how could Gina be so nonchalant when talking about Dylan like that? Brandon seemed to pick up on Kelly's suspicions quickly.

"So you've been giving each other the occasional call here and there, right?" he asked. Gina nodded, not sure where this was going. "Why not track his phone? I'm sure that would lead you right to him, or in this case, us."

Emerson's eyes brightened and he sat up a little straighter. "Yeah, he's right! Lemme see your phone, I'm sure there's an app or something we can track him-"

Emerson started to reach out for Gina's phone, but she yanked it away before he could touch it. "**_No_**," she yelled firmly, shoving the device back into her pocket. The other three people each gave her looks of bewilderment, confusion, and suspicion. Gina cleared her throat. "No, because I don't really know you well enough yet to go through my phone like that," she tried to clarify, Emerson still baffled at the sudden outburst. "It's nothing personal."

"He wasn't planning on going through your phone, Gina," Kelly was quick to jump in to defend her nephew. "He's just trying to find his father, of which you offered to help him do in the first place. Quit fucking around and start talking."

Gina looked taken aback, shooting Kelly a nasty glare. She so badly wanted to fight back, maybe even give Kelly a nice, lightning-fast slap across her smartass face. The only thing holding Gina back was the known fact that she'd without a doubt get pummeled by the two males sitting across from her. "Okay, I'm sorry for getting mad before, and I'm sorry I don't know your dad's exact coordinates. If you want, I can look into it in my spare time and text you any updates. Any other questions you have?"

Emerson sighed. "Yeah, what kinds of places could I look for him?"

"Any place where alcohol is sold. As for housing, if you could call it that, check any hotel in the area. The best lead I could give you is that he usually calls me in the morning, so I can only assume he's at the hotel that time then leaves to bars or wherever."

Emerson wrote everything Gina said down, feeling like he was finally getting somewhere. Kelly brought herself to make tense, albeit brief, eye contact with the other woman again. "All this time you knew he was drinking heavily again, yes?" she paused. Gina nodded hesitantly. "So why didn't you either try talking to him or fly down to enroll him in rehab? From the way I see it, it's like you couldn't give any less of a shit about his well-being."

Gina visibly froze, looking offended that Kelly would even dare to suggest anything like that. "Look, Kelly, I'm here to answer _Emerson's_ questions and _only_ Emerson's questions."

"Actually Gina, you're here to answer all of our questions. If you didn't want to get berated by us, then you shouldn't have been so secretive in the first place," Brandon spoke up after sitting quietly for most of the exchange.

Gina pouted childishly, knowing Brandon was right but pissed off for getting called out. "I did care about him, and I still do. I tried to talk to him, convince him to go back to his family, but he kept going on about how L.A. held too many painful memories for him; whether it was the kids, the old house, or Brandon. I guess he just snapped and left. Very unfortunate," she said solemnly, shaking her head slowly. Emerson looked down, sadness suddenly rushing through him as the thought of Dylan leaving because of him...well, not entirely him, but it still hurt to know.

"I don't remember him ever talking about L.A. having painful memories," Kelly muttered to herself, frowning. Something wasn't sitting right about this whole situation, but she wasn't going to call it out yet. Kelly wanted to gather more information firsthand, for she knew that as soon as she was to open her mouth, Gina wouldn't talk anymore.

"But it's very brave of you to want to find Dylan, I hope you can convince him to come home again," Gina finished, smiling at Emerson.

"Why did he contact you of all people right after Bren's death? As far as I know, you guys haven't spoken in close to 20 years at that point," Kelly pondered, trying not to sound accusatory.

"Well, we had been fairly open with each other for the short time we dated, and I wasn't really part of your friend group so it's no wonder he'd come to me; I didn't remind him of Brenda in any sort of way. I guess I was just someone to lean onto in a time of need," Gina concluded, seeming incredibly sure of herself. "Any more questions?" her tone was cocky, arrogant almost.

"Yes actually," Kelly's fake demeanor was beginning to fade but didn't bother to cover it up. "How come you never bothered to contact any of us adults after you found out Dylan was alive? You only once told Em, who was only fourteen at the time this happened, and only found it right now."

Kelly's nosiness was starting to irk Gina and she was gradually starting to become angrier. "Because he created a fake death certificate in order to make you all think he was dead!" not even a second after that came out of her mouth, Gina clamped her mouth shut knowing she'd just screwed up. "A-also a part of why he left L.A." she spit out quickly.

Emerson wrote that down as well, not because it would help him get closer to Dylan, but because it stuck out to him. Brandon was shocked, but he wasn't sure why; Dylan clearly had to pay to get a fake death certificate to throw off everyone's suspicion, but it just now occurred to him how fake it was. At the time, a sudden death by car crash didn't seem that far fetched for obvious reasons, but now that the topic had surfaced once again with so many more details, Brandon now put together the missing pieces of the puzzle; no body had been recovered from the wreck, but the family did receive a box of supposed ashes with Dylan's name inscribed on it, birthdate and "death date" for all to see. His beloved Porsche had also gone MIA and was said to have been totaled in the crash, a piece of the emblem sitting on a shelf in the Walsh home. "Then how do you know about the certificate? Dylan was- or isn't, I should say- exactly the type to go spreading important information like that to just anyone," Brandon blurted out.

"I told you already, we got really close after Brenda's death and he just vented to me. Made me swear not to tell anyone the truth, too. But here I am, guess I couldn't hold it in anymore," Gina stopped and checked her phone briefly before throwing it into her purse. She stood up suddenly and quickly. "It's been nice talking to you guys, but I have to be somewhere else now. Good luck finding Dylan." And just like that Gina disappeared through the door, not giving anyone a chance to stop or question her again.

"Did she seriously just up and leave like that?" Kelly asked, stupefied. Brandon nodded, the same dumbfounded look on his face. Emerson, on the other hand, was scanning through his few notes and circling a few key details, looking up at the adults when he was done.

"Whatever, I got what I needed from her anyways, or at least some of it. Now that I've got more of a lead, that means I can fly down there and start looking, right?" Emerson asked, appearing to be much more confident and sure of himself.

"Em, do you know how many hotels there are in Miami?" Brandon saw the boy shake his head, the look on his face telling him that Emerson hadn't quite thought about that. "On here it says there are roughly 78 hotels in the Miami area, possibly more. I think going solo is gonna make your job ten times harder than it already is," Brandon paused to exchange glances with Kelly. "That's why we're coming with you. Once we're down there, we'll split up and cover a certain number of hotels per day until we find the one Dylan's checked in to."

Emerson looked relieved for a short moment but suddenly gave a worried frown. "What about Jason, Jennie, and the twins? How long are we gonna be gone for?"

Kelly held up her phone. "I got that covered; Donna and David said they'd be more than happy to let them stay at their house until we get back, possibly even a couple of weeks after. We're gonna need to get Dylan settled again if he's as bad as Gina said."

"And we don't know how long that'll take, but it definitely won't be some short little exchange," Brandon added, Kelly nodding in agreement.

"This won't be easy, Emerson. Honestly, I think the hardest part will be trying to get through to Dylan than actually finding him. It'll be an emotional experience, to say the least, and we're just trying to prepare you for it," Kelly wrapped a protective arm around Emerson, genuinely concerned for his well-being. "You can let us know at any time if this is too much for you and we'll take over. No one should have to go through this."

Emerson was quiet momentarily, leaning into his aunt's embrace. "I appreciate it, but I want to do this," he met both of their eyes again. "I'll gladly take your guys' help finding dad, but I want to be a part of finding him too. I have so many questions for him."

"We'll find him, Em. We'll get him back soon."

The family hugged tightly, all hopeful, but all expecting the worst simultaneously.

…

Around three days later, Emerson found himself at the Silver's house. Today was the day that he, Brandon, and Kelly were flying out to Miami to finally begin the search for Dylan. He currently sat alone on the living room couch, watching his little siblings play with Dane, the youngest Silver, from afar. Emerson knew very well how much Eliza and Blake wanted their father back, and he vowed to bring Dylan back just for them.

"Hey Em."

The boy in question turned around to the familiar voice, giving a small smile to his friend. "Hey, Dani."

"Heard about what happened, this is crazy," Dani mused, shaking her head in disbelief. "How're you feeling about this whole thing?"

Emerson shrugged a shoulder. "I keep going back and forth. One minute I'm calm and confident that everything's gonna turn out okay, but then I start worrying; what if he's already left town? What if he refuses to come home? What if he doesn't remember me…?"

It was admittedly hard for Dani to relate to what her friend was going through, but she still sympathized with him. "Everything will work itself out, Em. You guys are doing everything you can and more," she said reassuringly. "And he'll remember you; you are his son after all. I don't know entirely what's going on with him, but he definitely still loves you. It'll work out Em, trust me."

Emerson nodded, giving a weak smile. "You're right, thanks, Dani."

Before she could answer, Brandon and Kelly came walking through, smiling at Dani and Emerson. "You ready to go, Em? We've got a long next few weeks ahead of us," Kelly said.

"Yeah, just lemme say goodbye to everyone," Emerson got up to find the twins, who were in the game room playing on the Xbox with Dane. "I'm leaving, guys. Not sure when I'll be back, but I promise I'll be back with dad."

The eleven-year-olds rushed over to their brother and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Em," Eliza said just loud enough for Emerson to hear. He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

"I'll call and keep you guys updated. Love you guys."

"Love you too, Em," both twins said simultaneously. The three siblings hugged for just a short while longer before Emerson pulled away.

"I should get going. Try not to get into trouble," he joked, making them laugh. Eliza and Blake waved goodbye, before returning to their video game. Emerson walked back towards the front door, passing Dani on his way out.

"You guys'll be successful, try not to let yourself think otherwise," she gave her friend a quick hug. "Good luck, McKay."

"Thanks, Silver," Emerson smirked at her before making his way out of the door and to the car. Once settled into his seat, he noticed Kelly turned around looking at him.

"You ready?"

"Let's do it."

…

Not including the couple hours they'd spent in the LAX airport, the flight itself took roughly four and a half hours, but it was all a blur to Emerson. He was so caught up in his own thoughts that it felt like he'd been on the plane for only a few minutes before he heard the message to fasten seatbelts and prepare for landing. It was still light out by the time they got to their Miami hotel, but it was already after seven o'clock at night, meaning that they probably wouldn't be able to set out until tomorrow. It sucked, but Emerson specifically wrote down that his father would typically contact Gina in the morning, which meant that he was least likely to be in the hotel right now. Truthfully, Emerson was tired from the traveling, so he took it upon himself to climb into bed and rest up; he'd need a whole lot of energy if he was going to pour himself into finding the mysterious Dylan McKay.


End file.
